The present invention generally relates to portable data collection and methods of collecting data, especially from bar code symbols, smart cards, or other auto-ID media, in mobile computers having a wireless transceiver for a local area network.
Wireless local area networks use infrared or radio frequency communications channels to communicate between portable or mobile computer terminals and stationary access points or base stations. These access points are in turn connected by a wired (or possibly wireless) communication channel to a network infrastructure which connects groups of access points together to form a local area network, including, optionally, one or more servers or host computer systems.
One type of mobile computer terminal coupled to or incorporating a bar code symbol reader, are now very common for data collection applications. Typically, a bar code symbol comprises one or more rows of light and dark regions, typically in the form of rectangle. The relative widths of the dark regions, i.e., the bars and/or the widths of the light regions, i.e., the spaces, between the bars encode data or information in the symbol.
A bar code symbol reader illuminates the symbol and senses light reflected from the regions of differing light reflectivity to detect the relative widths and spacings of the regions and derive the encoded information. Bar code reading type data input systems improve the efficiency and accuracy of data input for a wide variety of applications. The ease of data input in such systems facilitates more frequent and detailed data input, for example to provide efficient taking of inventories, tracking of work in progress, etc.
A variety of bar code reader scanning systems are known. One particularly advantageous type of reader is an optical scanner which scans a beam of light, such as a laser beam, across the symbols. Laser scanner systems and components of the type exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,387,297 and 4,760,248 which are owned by the assignee of the instant invention and are incorporated by reference herein have generally been designed to read indicia having parts of different light reflectivity, i.e., bar code symbols, particularly of the Universal Product Code (UPC) type, at a certain working range or reading distance from a hand-held or stationary scanner.
Wireless and radio frequency (RF) protocols are known which support the logical interconnection of portable roaming terminals having a variety of types of communication capabilities to host computers. The logical interconnections are based upon an infrastructure in which at least some each of the remote terminals are capable of communicating with at least two of the access points when located within a predetermined range therefrom, each terminal unit being normally associated with and in communication with a single one of such access points. Based on the overall spatial layout, response time, and loading requirements of the network, different networking schemes and communication protocols have been designed so as to most efficiently regulate the communications between a given terminal and the network through the selected access point. One such protocol is set forth in the ISO/IEC 8802-11, or ANSI/IEEE Std 802.11 entitled xe2x80x9cWireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specificationsxe2x80x9d (1999 edition) available from the IEEE Standards Department, Piscataway, N.J. (hereinafter the xe2x80x9cIEEE 802.11 Standardxe2x80x9d), and another is Bluetooth.
In automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) industry, certain module form factors, i.e., specific space allocations assemblies or devices having known functionalities, have become standards. The PC card or compact flash card is one such example in the portable computer industry. One such form factor for a bar code reader laser scan engine module known as the xe2x80x9cSE 1200xe2x80x9d has been adopted by the AIDC industry and is produced by Symbol Technologies, Inc. of Holtsville, N.Y., the assignee of the instant application. The SE 1200 module is used in hand-held portable computers for reading bar code symbols and has a parallelepiped shape measuring 1xc2xd inches in length, 1 inch in width, and xc2xe of an inch in height.
However, since this form factor is standardized and, therefore, the space allocated in the portable computer is limited to a certain, fixed size and shape, the functionality that may be implemented in the module is limited, since additional circuits and functions cannot readily be added to the existing allocated space. Also, the input and output interfaces of this module are fixed, and any new functions or circuits must employ the given interfaces.
1. Objects of the Invention
Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to combine an RF transceiver and an auto ID reader on a common support, especially on a standard form factor such as the SE 1200 module.
It is another object of this invention to add further interface functionality to a module having a standardized form factor by utilizing common digital signal processing circuitry interface already present on the module to support the added functionality.
2. Features of the Invention
In keeping with the above objects and others which will become apparent hereafter, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in a radio frequency (RF) transceiver and a auto ID reader both supported on a common support having a predetermined form factor, especially the aforementioned SE 1200 module on which a bar code symbol reader is already supported. The RF transceiver is operative for communicating with a computer network, such as a wireless LAN or WAN, or cellular telephone network, The auto ID reader is operative for sensing encoded data on a card, such as a credit, debit or identification card, and for reading the encoded data.
In a preferred embodiment, electrical components for the RF transceiver and auto ID readers are mounted on a printed circuit board supported by the module. These components generate digital signals corresponding to the RF signal data and the encoded data. An ASIC, digital signal processor, microprocessor, or other processing unit supported by the module receives and processes these digital signals, and outputs the processed signals through a common interface.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.